Carl had an interesting title to his presentation, "Why We Need Cheap Oil to Protect the Environment and Climate." I was originally skeptical, but through his presentation, he convinced me, quite logically and informed with data, that we don't actually want high oil prices if we are to stave-off the worst carbon-sources.

I'm certainly not going to do his presentation justice, but my big takeaway from it was from one slide that showed the spectrum of oil sources by category. He showed that traditional sources fall within "normal" oil prices, while many experimental and expensive sources of oil, like oil shale (where you have to heat rock formations to 700+ degrees to extract the oil) become economically viable when the price of oil is high.

The basic point is that the cheaper the market price of oil, the more oil sources that are expensive to extract stay in the ground. That's one of the things we want.

There are, of course, arguments that high oil prices equate to a reduction in consumption, and an increase in more fuel efficient vehicle sales, as has been occuring from the beginning of our current recession with higher fuel prices, but the source of the oil used may matter to our climate even more. It's "game over" if we extract and burn those expensive sources.

The worst carbon offenses to the planet will occur from the extraction of the most expensive and dirtiest sources of oil. Not only that, but expensive oil prices also mean opening new fields, which equates to new development in formerly undeveloped lands.

Are we ready for a day when the United States is run on renewable energy alone? At the RMC, we envision that day every day, and work hard to make it happen.

Water & the West panelists (R to L) moderated by Ken Neubecker of Western Rivers Institute, and with panelists Kevin Patrick, a water attorney, Brad Udall of NOAA Water Assessment, Filmmaker Jamie Redford, and Peter McBride, Photographer and Author

There was also a great panel on "Water & the West." I was enthralled to hear the discussion, and needless to say, the entire panel was strongly in favor of making sure we keep fighting for the Colorado River so that it can one day reach the Gulf of Mexico (it hasn't since about 1997, they said).

Meetup!Speaking of events, the RMC now has a Meetup.com page where you can sign-up for many of our outings and events! We launched the site last Saturday, and we already have 100 members!

This is an exciting new avenue to bring in new people to the chapter, since Meetup.com has such a large Colorado following. There are thousands of people who actively use that website, and the whole point of the website is to "meetup" off-line and in-person.

Just go to www.meetup.com/sierraclubrmc to join and sign-up for any of our offerings! Be sure to sign-up for our Featured Meetup! This joins our Facebook and Twitter pages to continue to build our chapter's exposure.

We're hiring!Know someone who is looking for a job in fundraising? We're hiring a Development Coordinator at the RMC! Pass the link on to your friends here. We're also looking for many volunteer roles to be filled, including an urgent need for reporters! Check out the full list in the last article below.

Thank you for all you do,

P.S. If you haven't yet, sign-up to see if solar is right for you! Read the solar story below, and follow the link to sign-up for a free online estimate to go solar!

More than 231 homeowners across the country have switched to solar homes
through a new and affordable program offered by Sierra Club and
Sungevity, a California-based solar specialist. Could you be the next
homeowner to be added to the growing list?

The residents of Pueblo, Colo., are the beneficiaries of a welcome
$100,000 grant through the Pueblo Mercury Project (PMP) to help remove
mercury from homes, schools, businesses, and other buildings in the
local area.

The project will also provide the community with information
and educational programs about the risks and proper management of this
highly toxic element.

High mercury emissions, mostly from the local steel mill, have been a
big problem in the Pueblo area for years, with more reported emissions
in Pueblo County than in other parts of Colorado.

Renewable energy sources are too expensive compared to fossil fuels. Without large federal subsidies, they are not economically viable.

Truth:

Renewables have received only a fraction of the subsidies granted to the fossil fuel industry over time.Read more...

FEATURED VOLUNTEER: Jenny Kedward

Passion for a river tops this Pueblo volunteer's priority listBy Carol Carpenter

Jenny Kedward has worn several volunteer hats in her eight years with
Sierra Club's Rocky Mountain Chapter (RMC). Currently, an executive
member of both the RMC and Sangre de Cristo Group, Jenny has focused
mostly on water quality issues, but she has also found time to "dabble"
in air quality and energy efficiency as well.

"I've had many titles in the Sierra Club, ranging from chapter chair to just another happy member on a hike," Jenny says.

Jenny
was introduced to the Sierra Club while attending college at Colorado
State University-Pueblo, earning a B.S. with an emphasis in
environmental health. There she discovered that her biology professor
was an Executive Committee member of the local chapter.

When we awoke after our first night at camp, we found ourselves and the
children in our care surrounded by many hungry, slavering wolves.
Thirty-seven wolves stared at us, all eager to bolt down fresh meat
like…well…wolves will do.

Does this sound eerily like a movie
plot? It's not. It's a real experience our Boulder Valley Inner City
Outings (ICO) volunteers provided for several children (ages 10-15) from
the Project YES! program in Lafayette, Colo. Offering this unique
outing experience was Mission: Wolf, a non-profit, educational wolf sanctuary near Gardner, Colo.Read more...

Showcase your photos in RMC's new Facebook photo contest

With
all that wandering about in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, no doubt you
have a great scenic photo that could become a winner in the Sierra Club
Rocky Mountain Chapter's (RMC) newly launched Facebook photo contest.

Photo courtesy of Michael Ace.

This
month's theme is "mountain(s)." Your photo could be composed of one
great, gorgeous mountain or a cluster of several awesome peaks. It could
be taken from a distance or up close and personal. It could have been
snapped at sunrise, sunset, or high noon─anytime of the day or night.
Maybe you have a great autumn or winter vista. The main thing to do is
post it on RMC's Facebook page right now.

To participate, visit our RMC Facebook page at http://facebook.com/SierraClubRMC.
Read the rules posted in the "notes" section by clicking the menu arrow
to the right of "events" and submit your photo to our wall.Read more...

Would you believe that the Sierra Club runs more from volunteer leadership than staff leadership? It's true -- there are literally thousands of volunteer leaders in different leadership capacities in 63 chapters and over 400 groups nationwide! Believe it or not, there's only one RMC chapter staff person right now, the Director, working with over 150 great volunteer leaders in the chapter and groups. So it's critical that you contact us right away, even if you're only remotely thinking about spending a few hours or more per week helping out the environmental movement in Colorado.

Colorado's environment needs your activism and advocacy -- the writing's on the wall! You show up, and we'll train you. There's even a lot of stuff you can do right from home. Doesn't matter where you are in Colorado -- we're recruiting for the Chapter, and that covers the entire state! If you're interested, we've got a volunteer role to fit your interests, skills, experience, and knowledge.

If after reading through the roles below you're still unsure of where you might fit in, that's no problem. Just fill out the volunteer interest form on our website at http://rmc.sierraclub.org/volunteer.shtml.

One night's stay at Hotel Colorado in Glenwood with passes to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

One night's stay at Tiredhouse Bed & Breakfast in Salida

Jacket from Patagonia

Signed hiking and snowshoeing trail books by Sierra Club's own Alan Apt

How: Choose the trails and amount of hiking you want to do. Then use the pledge formto get donations or pledges for each mile you hike. (Sponsor pledges/donations are not required to participate, but will further your contribution and put you in the running for prizes.)Click here for more information, and get your tickets today!

Featured Outings

Happy Hour in the Hills White Ranch Park

Friday, Aug. 244:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

What better way to celebrate summer than by spending your Friday
evenings hiking the foothills instead of being stuck in some bar?

We'll
spend two Fridays a month (through September) out in the foothills on
short hikes that range in distance between 2 and 4 miles round-trip.
This hike is 2.4 miles round-trip with an elevation gain of 280 feet.

This hike will lead us to several buildings that were once part of the Paul White homestead. We will pass through ponderosas, a creek, and will have stunning views of the Table Mountains, Ralston Buttes and the beautiful high plains.

This hike is rated easy and will have several stops so that we can chat and get to know one another because it IS happy hour after all!

This hike takes you to the top of one of Colorado's nicest 13ers with great views of the Indian Peaks, Long's Peak and Mt. Meeker.

From the Mitchell Lake trail head, it is about a 4.5 mile ascent on a good trail with just under 3000 feet elevation gain. The last half mile before the summit is a difficult (but not dangerous) climb up a talus field.

Due to afternoon storms, we will have an early start (leaving the trail head no later than 8:00 a.m.). This hike is limited to 10 people. Contact Andy Gerber if you are interested in this hike. Please provide your phone number so Andy can follow up and answer any questions you have about gear and recommended fitness level.

This hike is rated at "advanced" and we will take a moderate/fast pace. There is a $9 per carload entry fee to the Brainard Lake Recreation Area.

Join Pikes Peak Sierra Club for a hike
along a section of the Ring the Peak Trail on the west side of Pikes
Peak during aspen season.

We can never predict for sure, but hopefully
the aspen will be at or near their peak. Learn what the Sierra Club is
doing to help protect Pikes Peak, working with other groups such as the
Central Colorado Wilderness Coalition and Wild Connections.

This hike
will be approximately four miles with an elevation gain of 600 feet and
is rated moderate.

OUR RMC WEBSITE HAS OTHER OUTINGS INFO THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST -- A Sierra Club Sign-In and Liability Waiver form must be signed before participating in outings -- if you desire to review a copy, please contact your trip leader.

Wish List!

Did your holiday treat you to an upgrade from your old computer? Don't throw it out! The RMC is waiting with open arms to receive your well-loved equipment. As the saying goes, one person's trash is another person's treasure! If you can offer any of the following in working order, we'd be very grateful! Please do not offer anything that will take more time and/or money to repair than if we spent the money to buy it.

-Working desktop or laptop; PC computers with functional screens and at minimum Windows 2003 as an operating system.